A hair and makeup trial is used as a pre run through of your wedding day style. This is a great time to review looks you have been contemplating, match hair extensions, talk about airbrush vs traditional makeup, choose the perfect lip color, meet your bridal stylist, and a great excuse to have a little more girl time. The experience is fun and part of the process however about 15% of Pacific Artistry brides opt out of a hair and makeup trial appointment for many reasons. She could be an out of state bride, could be a lack of budget, time, etc. At Pacific Artistry we do everything in our power to make your wedding day go as smooth as possible even without a trial.

Meet Anna, she was a recent bride in Seattle Washington at the Four Seasons Hotel. She opted out of a trial since she had worked with Pacific Artistry in the past and was fully confidence in the quality of our services. (Even though a different artist was assigned to the wedding she was a bridesmaid in).

Pacific Artistry typical routine in booking a bride without a trial is

Your personal stylist will ask for inspirational wedding photos of hair and makeup.

We will email you an overview of all the details we go over at a trial.

We always allow more time on your wedding day to review styles and make adjustments if needed.

After reviewing all of the photos Anna emailed in, the artist knew she would need a few “extras” needed to create the desire hair style with the density/length of Anna’s hair. This was an important part of creating Anna’s style and with the knowledge of the stylist this look was perfected.

I think secretly Anna was a little nervous (who wouldn’t be) especially since she wasn’t working with the same artist as before. I reassured her that all of our stylists are trained very well and can recreate any style. Anna followed all of her stylist recommendations and her final look was gorgeous. Above all she was glowing on her special day.

Ok, as promised I am here to share how to get your nails looking fabulous on a budget for your wedding.

Kiss Everlasting French Manicure

Weddings are very costly ranging from $10k upwards of $300k so with all of the expenses in mind, saving a few dollars here and there can really help. One great way to save money is on your nails. Many gals opt for a day at the nail shop getting a french manicure for the big day. Well if you are on a budget or don’t have a nail shop close to you. At home nail kits are a great alternative.

I recently was sent the Kiss Nails Everlasting french manicure and I have to say I was genuinely surprised at how beautiful they looked. I was skeptical at first, seeing as how press on nails have been around for decades and have not been that great. I thought the packaging was a little generic, so I did not have very high hopes about the outcome.

To my astonishment, they were easy to apply and came with two options, the press on option or the glue on method. I chose the glue on method. This was very easy to use and dried quick. The whole manicure took about 10 minutes if that.

So my skepticism has been changed!! I was very happy to find out that there are a variety of options making it super simple to change up your nail look quickly and easily. Especially for those who are not gifted in the nail polish department. I suffer from nail on cuticle syndrome for some reason, i just can’t get it perfect!! These help immensely with that!

The Kiss Nails retail at walmart.com for $4.97-$5.97 (depending on style) which is a huge savings compared to acrylic or gel nails that cost $30 -$60 depending on your location.

Kiss Everlasting French Manicure at walmart.com

Now don’t get me wrong, or think I’m an acrylic basher! Acrylics while beautiful do offer one thing that many brides don’t consider. They are semi-permanent, so if you only planned on wearing acrylics for your wedding, your nails will be a literal hot mess taking them off after the fact. Or if you plan to keep them you can count on a $30-$40 a month expense in upkeep. If you can afford it and have time, then go for it, I love acrylics and think they are great!

But if you are on a budget and trying to save money and time, the Kiss Nails are a great alternative.

Until next time… xoxoxo

Ps….. Here is an offer from one of our affiliates Betsy Johnson, just for you!

For all our beautiful brides don’t miss the opportunity to win the Tarte Cosmetics Bridal giveway!! Tarte partnered with theknot.com to offer this awesome beauty giveaway. One grand prize winner will receive a mother of pearl plated compact from the 1950’s (something old) a $500 gifct card to Saks Fifth Avenue , a set of bridal magazines and bridal books from The Knot, and a set of tarte products(something new) , and 2 tarte makeup artists to do your makeup and the makeup of 5 members of your bridal party plus a makeup trial run on your wedding day! (something borrowed).

This is an epic bridal day giveaway that I wanted to share with all of you!! Don’t miss your chance, the deadline is 6/15/2014. Good luck!!

KIRKLAND, WA 1/31/2013 – Pacific Artistry is pleased to announce they been selected as a 2013 ­­winner in The Knot Best of Weddings, a special section featured on TheKnot.com/BOW. TheKnot.com the number-one wedding destination, most trusted by brides.

This is the second year Pacific Artistry has been voted the Best Beauty Professional PICK for The Knot Best of Weddings.

The Knot Best of Weddings 2013 provides a “by brides, for brides” guide to the top wedding professionals across the country, and is a must-have when it comes to selecting the best-of-the-best wedding resources. Whether they’re trying to find the wedding dress salon with the best service in Philadelphia, the most creative wedding photographers in Los Angeles, New York’s top cake bakers or Miami’s hottest reception sites, engaged couples across the country want the inside scoop on the best from real brides.

“We are thrilled and honored to receive the prestigious honor for the second year in a row. My team and I work very hard with each of our brides to ensure they look beautiful, feel confident, and are happy with the overall experience. I am proud to see our hard work pays off” said owner and Chief Stylist Shanelle La Crista.

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About XO Group Inc.
XO Group Inc. (NYSE: XOXO), is a global media and technology leader devoted to weddings, pregnancy and everything in between, providing young women with the trusted information, products and advice they need to guide them through the most transformative events of their lives. Our family of premium brands began with the #1 wedding brand, The Knot, and has grown to include WeddingChannel.com, The Nest, The Bump, TheBlush.com and Ijie.com. XO Group is recognized by the industry for being innovative in all media – from the web to social media and mobile, magazines and books, and video – and our groundbreaking social platforms have ignited passionate communities across the world. XO Group has leveraged its customer loyalty into successful businesses in online sponsorship and advertising, registry services, ecommerce and publishing. The company is publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange (XOXO) and is headquartered in New York City. Follow XO Group on Twitter @xogroupinc.

// Kirkland, WA – June 28, 2012 – WeddingWire is excited to announce that Pacific Artistry is WeddingWire Rated in 2012 for Beauty & Health. WeddingWire Rated is the annual ratings program that recognizes wedding professionals across the country for their commitment to service and is the most recognized and trusted brand among engaged couples, as they start their search for local wedding businesses. The ratings program is based on hundreds of thousands of recent newlywed reviews of over 200,000 wedding professionals in the US and Canada, across 20 different service categories.

Pacific Artistry has 19 reviews on WeddingWire. Reviews by our newlywed clients include detailed ratings and insightful descriptions about their experiences working with our business and staff. Our reviews provide transparency for potential clients, assisting them in making informed decisions for their big day.

“We are very pleased to announce WeddingWire Rated 2012, recognizing Pacific Artistry for their commitment to exemplary service in Beauty & Health,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire, Inc. “Pacific Artistry has shown dedication to their craft and service, helping engaged couples understand what to expect from their business through reviews on the nation’s leading wedding review site.”

As the largest site for wedding reviews, WeddingWire empowers engaged couples with the most comprehensive and trusted review system available in the wedding industry. WeddingWire Rated provides Pacific Artistry with the distinction of being WeddingWire Rated and a simple platform to capture client feedback from their wedding planning experience. Engaged couples can easily access all of the reviews for Pacific Artistry on WeddingWire.com. We have all of our newlywed clients to thank for our WeddingWire Rated 2012 recognition.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire, the nation’s leading marketplace serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 local wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire is the only all-in-one marketing platform for businesses online and on-the-go. WeddingWire offers one simple solution to build a professional network, improve search visibility, manage social media and reach mobile consumers. Businesses that advertise with WeddingWire appear on WeddingWire.com, ProjectWedding.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com, Brides.com and Weddingbee.com.